Guest guest Posted June 26, 2003 Report Share Posted June 26, 2003 26 Jun 2003 11:29:16 -0000 News Update from The Campaign Report on Sacramento events News Update From The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods ---- Dear News Update Subscribers, The Ministerial Conference and Expo on Agricultural Science and Technology took place in Sacramento, California over the past few days. Activists protesting this propaganda event, including myself, held opposing activities beginning last Saturday. The Ministerial Conference was hosted by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman. The event promoted genetically engineered foods and food irradiation to Agriculture Ministers from around the world. Activists held a Teach-In on Saturday. There were some unscheduled protests on Sunday. On Monday the primary protest and march was held, along with a public debate that evening. On Tuesday additional protests and demonstrations took place. There were an amazing amount of police in Sacramento for the events. I estimate about 2,000 people marched in the demonstration on Monday. But there must have been at least 300 armed police officers along the march route. Cops were on horses, bicycles and motorcycles. The largest number were standing with riot clubs and guns ready. In particular, the largest concentration of police were standing in front of the Starbuck's location that the march passed by -- it was really quite funny. I took a few pictures of the rally and march and posted them on the following web page: http://www.thecampaign.org/sacramento.php Additional photos can be found at the Indymedia Biotech web site at: http://www.biotechimc.org/or/2003/06/394.shtml One of the best things about the protest over the Ministerial Conference is that this news was covered by newspapers all over the world. People in Europe, Africa and Asia now know that many Americans are opposing genetically engineered foods. The other excellent development was that a coalition of organic farming groups managed to raise enough money to have a 10' x 20' booth inside the Ministerial Conference and Expo to promote organic agriculture and express their opposition to genetic engineering. Posted below are five articles about the Expo and protests. Craig Winters Executive Director The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods The Campaign PO Box 55699 Seattle, WA 98155 Tel: 425-771-4049 Fax: 603-825-5841 E-mail: label Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org Mission Statement: " To create a national grassroots consumer campaign for the purpose of lobbying Congress and the President to pass legislation that will require the labeling of genetically engineered foods in the United States. " *************************************************************** Biotech Conference Ends After Protests 04:54 AM EST June 26, 2003 The Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Both protesters and proponents claimed success after an international conference on how genetically modified foods can help alleviate poverty in the Third World. Hundreds of demonstrators who rallied against GMOs during the three-day gathering were prevented by a large police presence from causing major disruptions, but leaders said they got their message through. " We were also working in concert with organic farmers who were inside. And there was a strong showing out here. We were making a lot of noise, " said protester Doyle Canning, from the Institute for Social Ecology in Vermont, as the conference closed Wednesday. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman, who hosted the meeting of agriculture ministers, scientists and health experts, said " a seed has been planted " for advancing cooperation on biotechnology. European Union ministers were notably absent from the talks at a time when the United States is demanding that the World Trade Organization force the EU to end its ban on genetically modified food. The EU's agriculture representative in Washington said EU ministers were invited but canceled because the union is wrapping up talks on agricultural reform. Critics of the U.S. policy of advocating biotechnology as an answer to food shortages say Washington is merely seeking its own economic advantage and pushing risky science on struggling nations. " For us in the developing countries, we feel with biotechnology, we should take our time and build the capacity to be able to understand what we're dealing with, " said Drinah Nyirenda, a nutritionist in Zambia who works with 200,000 farmers in a food distribution program. " In the meantime, we would like to continue with the conventional methods of producing foods, using methods that won't harm the environment. " At least 70 demonstrators were taken into custody, but the show went on without problems; a large force of police in riot gear patrolled Sacramento's streets on bikes, horseback and foot. Protest organizers had estimated that there would be 8,000 demonstrators at a march and rally on the opening day, but only about a quarter of those materialized. Since Monday, the activists faded, breaking into groups of 50 to 100 that roved through downtown Sacramento followed by a far greater number of law officers. *************************************************************** Organic food for thought By Bob Walter -- Bee Staff Writer - (Published June 25, 2003) As showdowns go, it hardly was historic. It didn't make the evening news or the front page; neither party was wearing a carrot costume or full riot gear. But a low-key exchange on the trade show floor might have summed up one of the key controversies at the international agriculture expo that ends today in Sacramento. Zea Sonnabend, a stalwart of California's organic farming movement, told of a woman from the biotech food camp who visited the colorful and overflowing organic food booth. " It wasn't a confrontation, " Sonnabend said. " But she engaged us. " She said 'we have to have this (genetically modified food) to feed the world.' " We said, 'no, you don't.' " In the end, they agreed to disagree. And that's why a coalition of organic farming groups paid $6,500 for a booth at the trade show portion of the three-day international ministerial conference. That was just the rental fee; it doesn't count salaries, displays and enough organic fruit, nuts, coffee, wine, chips, pretzels and other food to feed plenty of hungry ministers. " Our message is too important for the ministers to miss, " said Brian Sharpe, a coordinator for the Santa Cruz-based California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). " This is supposed to be an ag tech conference, and a lot of the technology and solutions that organic farmers utilize can be very beneficial to farming in general, " Sharpe said. Sharpe declined to characterize the trade show floor as " us against them, " but the other exhibitors were heavily tilted toward genetic engineering, government and corporate interests. And organic farming, the fastest-growing segment of U.S. agriculture, does not allow for genetic engineering. Which made things somewhat awkward at times during the conference. " We felt not like the enemy, but a little like infiltrators, especially on the way in yesterday, " said Sonnabend, who works with CCOF and the Ecological Farming Association of Watsonville. Sonnabend said both groups were participating " both inside and outside " the conference, with the booth on the trade show floor and representatives at the rallies and protests on the streets of Sacramento. " We want to protest the U.S. politics of genetically engineered organisms, " she said, " and to show the ministers that organic is a viable alternative to what they are being fed by the (U.S. Department of Agriculture). " Reaction to the food-laden organic booth has been terrific, Sharpe and Sonnabend said, with ministers from around the world munching away. " And (Agriculture Secretary) Ann Veneman was kind of fun, " Sonnabend said. " She posed for a picture and took a bite of an organic strawberry. " Other exhibitors, from genetic giant Monsanto to irradiated food specialist SureBeam Corp. of San Diego, welcomed the organic group's presence at the show. " It just makes for a wider-ranging conference, " said Kim Eason, a senior market analyst for Surebeam. " We consider organic a technology in itself. " George N. Gough, Monsanto's manager of governmental affairs, said the organic farmers should be commended for participating in the conference. " Hats off to them for choosing to bring their message to the ministers from the inside, " Gough said. " It will be interesting to see what turns out to be the most effective. " Less than 25 feet from the organic booth, Judith A. Kjelstrom and DeeDee Kitterman were staffing an exhibit from the University of California, Davis. Kitterman, executive director of research and outreach in the UC Davis college of agriculture and environmental sciences, noted the university is equally involved in organic/sustainable agriculture and biotech. She also said organics are becoming an even stronger focus at UC Davis. And Kjelstrom, associate director of the biotech program, insisted that her specialty was not the opposite of organic. " It's a safe technology ... to reduce pesticide and herbicide use, feed the hungry and help be good stewards of the land, " she said. " We want to provide the right tools to do the job, and the organic farmer has chosen to eschew our technology. " The California-led organic movement has seen sales nationwide increase by at least 20 percent a year since 1990. Though organic products account for less than 2 percent of food sales in the United States, the industry is projected to reach $13 billion in sales this year -- double the sales of four years ago. Total certified organic acreage topped 2.3 million acres in 2001, including 163,000 in California, according to the USDA Economic Research Service. *************************************************************** Biotech protesters arrested at global agri-conference 06/24/2003 By JENNIFER COLEMAN, Associated Press Writer SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- At least 11 protesters were arrested Tuesday - including one subdued with a stun gun - as an international agriculture conference focused on genetically modified foods entered its second day. About 70 people have been arrested in demonstrations against the conference since Sunday, but protesters have been mostly peaceful in this city braced for violence. Law-enforcement officers outnumbered other people on downtown streets, and some offices and restaurants shut down for fear of disruptions. Tuesday's arrests came as protesters blocked traffic in front of the conference. One demonstrator was taken into custody after charging at officers who stunned him with a Taser weapon, police Chief Albert Najera said. At least 10 others were arrested for sitting in the street, Capt. Sam Somers said. Demonstrators have attempted to disrupt the Ministerial Conference and Expo on Agricultural Science and Technology, which they call an effort to push genetically altered crops on starving countries. The conference, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is focused on eliminating world hunger through genetically modified foods and other technologies. The three-day event has drawn agriculture ministers, scientists and health care experts from more than 100 countries, but none from the European Union, which banned the import of genetically modified food in 1998. Tito Barbini, a regional minister for agriculture in Tuscany, Italy, criticized the absence Tuesday in Sacramento. " There are no European ministers at a time when the United States is trying to heal the wounds opened by a war in Iraq, " Barbini said. He appeared on behalf of the International Forum on Globalization, one of several groups opposing the conference. Gerry Kiely, a EU agriculture representative in Washington, said EU ministers were invited but canceled because the union is closing talks on agricultural reform. He said Germany, France and Spain have sent delegates. The United States is demanding that the World Trade Organization force the EU to end its ban, which was put in place after many consumers expressed concern about potential health risks. President Bush on Monday accused Europe of aggravating hunger in Africa by closing its markets to genetically modified food. Barbini said the EU may reach a compromise but it wants a system for labeling such foods, something the industry has resisted. Like European officials, agriculture ministers at the conference questioned the health risks of genetically altered crops and voiced concern about corporations controlling seed supply. Robert Fraley, executive vice president of Monsanto Co., one of the world's largest suppliers of herbicides and genetically altered seeds, said biotechnology is a safe way to help farmers grow more crops with fewer pesticides. " Biotech products, if anything, may be safer than conventional products because of all the testing, " Fraley said. About 51 percent of the world's soybeans, 20 percent of its cotton and 9 percent of its corn is genetically modified. " This is just the beginning, " Fraley said. " Where we are with biotechnology today is where we were with computers in the 1950s. We will see many, many more new products that will provide benefits and health. " *************************************************************** 60 Arrested In Sacramento Bio-Tech Protests Demonstrators Dress As Corn, Butterflies And Tomatoes POSTED: 10:44 a.m. PDT June 24, 2003 Sixty protesters have been arrested in demonstrations against this week's meeting of more than 100 agriculture officials from around the world. More than 1,500 protesters rallied at the state Capitol then marched through downtown as the Ministerial Conference and Expo on Agricultural Science and Technology began three days of discussions on genetically engineered crops. Demonstrators dressed as giant ears of corn, butterflies and tomatoes -- and some not dressed at all -- mingled with anarchists, organic farmers and chefs at a mostly peaceful march Monday. Following the march, about 20 protesters doffed their clothes and danced on the steps of the state Capitol, then began an unauthorized parade through downtown Sacramento. Sacramento police said nine protesters were arrested Monday. The California Highway Patrol reported five arrests. All five were charged with resisting arrest and obstruction, and one woman was also charged with being under the influence of drugs, said CHP spokesman Tom Marshall. Before the march on Monday, police confiscated a bag at the Capitol that contained spray paint and weapons, including light bulbs filled with flammable liquid, a slingshot, sharpened sticks and wooden shields. On Sunday, 46 protesters were arrested before the conference even opened, police said. Sacramento police said Tuesday those arrested could face charges including indecent exposure, trespassing, failure to disperse, resisting arrest and violating city codes. Activists said they fear the gathering is an attempt by corporate farming to push bio-engineered crops on starving countries, a claim disputed by the event's organizers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture. On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman told agriculture ministers, scientists and health care experts from 120 countries that biotechnology can help developing nations reduce hunger while improving nutrition and their economies. Protesters didn't block agriculture officials as they entered the conference, police said. At a World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle three years ago, protesters were able to delay the event by preventing officials from getting to the building. Police -- on horseback, bicycle, foot and in the air -- said they were prepared for thousands more protesters after organizers sought a permit for 8,000 demonstrators. Some offices and restaurants closed because of the anticipated demonstrations and downtown seemed more like a ghost town, with law enforcement -- many dressed in riot gear -- outnumbering people on the streets. Others put signs in their windows declaring their businesses " corporation free. " Security was scaled back Tuesday and more employees returned to work in offices near the city's convention center. Organizer Juliette Beck, the California coordinator for Public Citizen, a Washington-based consumers' rights group, said the sizable police presence was " total overkill. " " They're creating a climate of fear and criminalizing protesters, " she said. Sacramento County Sheriff Lou Blanas disagreed, saying, " If it's safe and there are no problems, it's never overkill. " *************************************************************** Protesters decry 'Frankenfood' By Joe Fasbinder SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 24 (UPI) -- Foes of genetically modified food paraded through cordoned-off streets of Sacramento, Calif. for the second day Tuesday. The protest was aimed at top federal officials and representatives of 120 nations, who opened an international conference at the city's convention center on farm technology. The largely subdued protests turned Sacramento's normally busy downtown core unusually quiet. The Los Angeles Times said most office buildings near the Capitol were locked, parking lots were vacant, and many government workers stayed home. Police arrested 13 protesters on a variety of charges. A four-block area surrounding the Sacramento Convention Center was turned into a virtual armed camp, blocked by traffic barricades and lines of officers outfitted in riot gear, flanking black armored cars. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman opened the first Ministerial Conference and Expo on Agricultural Science and Technology with a buoyant speech extolling the virtues of genetically modified food as the world grapples with hunger gripping 800 million people. *************************************************************** If you would like to comment on this News Update, you can do so at the forum section of our web site at: http://www.thecampaign.org/forums *************************************************************** --------- Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc. To , e-mail to: Gettingwell- Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell SBC DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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